2nd November, 2022
By Adekunle Williams
The Lagos State House of Assembly is probing the 2021 Auditor-General’s Statutory Report on accounts of indicted Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.
The Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Mr Nurudeen Saka-Solaja made this disclosure in the opening remarks before the commencement of the probe on Wednesday at the assembly complex.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Public Accounts Committee is a statutory establishment of Sections 125 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The committee is an important instrument of checks, probity and accountability in legislative Institutions at both the Federal and state levels.
Consequently, Section 125(2) and Section 129(1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution as (amended) empower the Public Accounts Committee to summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document.
Saka-Solaja (Ikorodu II) said the exercise was not to witch-hunt the MDAs but to ensure that the committee’s statutory oversight was used as an antidote to financial recklessness by MDAs in the state.
He added that the exercise was to seek clarifications regarding the outstanding queries raised in the Auditor-General’s report to enhance better service delivery in the state.
The lawmaker said this exercise would cover the period of Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021, and the economic activities of all the MDAs of government in all sectors of the state government.
The lawmaker said the aim of the committee was to invite all heads of the indicted MDAs to seek clarifications regarding the queries raised in the Auditor General’s report to enhance service delivery in Lagos State.
He said: “The exercise will also ascertain the completion, accuracy and reliability of the financial transactions within the sectors.
“The committee will also confirm the level of compliance with financial regulations, relevant legislations and accounting standards and reflect on each sector’s financial performance and position.
He noted that there was no gainsaying the fact that the task ahead was herculean, notwithstanding, it must be accomplished if the state must be moved forward to attain probity.
Saka-Solaja urged MDAs officials to bear in mind that public expectation was high on the administration, as they had been acknowledged as the reference point in probity and accountability in governance by other states.
He assured that the report of findings and recommendations would be compiled and forwarded to the house for deliberations after the exercise.